King cupcakes

The other day, my friend asked me to make cupcakes for her company, King.  I've made King cupcakes before, but those were of the Mardi Gras variety. These are different. These are for the company's IPO! We all know King for its games, most famously, Candy Crush Saga. It's super fun and addicting. I've been thinking about making Candy Crush cupcakes, so this is a good introduction for me.

I made one dozen vanilla gluten free cupcakes, topped with yellow frosting, orange sprinkles, and the King logo. I thought they turned out quite well! And everyone at the company loved them.

To make the logos, I used yellow candy melts to pipe the design. I first printed out a scaled version of the logo, then placed it under a sheet of wax paper so I could trace it. Worked like a charm, once I got the candy melts to the proper consistency. While it was still wet, I sprinkled orange sanding sugar on top, since the company's colors are orange and yellow. Then I let them dry, and placed them on top of each cupcake.

To make the cupcakes gluten free, I used Cup 4 Cup gluten free flour. I found it at Whole Foods! It was super easy, and really is a cup for cup substitute. The consistency of the batter is a little different, but the end result is still light and fluffy.

This was a fun challenge and I got to practice my piping skills. Maybe now I'll be inspired to tackle a more complex cupcake. Or maybe I'll just go back to playing Candy Crush.

Happy Macaron Day!

So, today is apparently national macaron day. You know I'm a sucker for any food holiday, so I of course made macarons! Now, I've tried many times to make these little suckers, with varying results. They're so beautiful in pastry shop displays, so perfect and jewel-like, that I strive to make them at home. But so far, no luck.

Biscoff and lingonberry jam macarons

Not satisfied with the results, I kept looking for a better recipe. Most have you "cure" the piped macarons before baking them. It's usually a lot of work. So when I came across a new recipe from none other than my favorite Martha Stewart, I was intrigued. The cover of the March issue of Living magazine was stunning, so I was determined to try. And what do you know, perfect! I literally squealed when I opened the oven door. The recipe was easy and effective. Leave it to Martha! I kept it simple and made vanilla shells and filled them with either Biscoff or lingonberry jam. So perfect I will always use this recipe from now on.

Biscoff and lingonberry jam macarons

I've also made the Bouchon Bakery recipe three or four times, with varying results each time. Usually at least half of the batch comes out cracked. Still delicious, but not so pretty.  It's frustrating to follow the exact same instructions and get different results.

hazelnut macarons- apparently I like stacking them

vanilla macarons

However, the macarons at Bouchon Bakery are exquisite! Bigger than most, and in so many fun flavor combinations, they're always churning out new and exciting options. They even enrobe them in chocolate!

I like to try macarons at different local pastry shops, and Tout Sweet is one of the best. Since they're pretty pricey, I usually just get one or two with a cappuccino or cup of tea. It's the perfect mid-afternoon treat.

salted caramel and Earl Grey macarons

No matter if you make them at home or buy them in a shop, macarons are a wonderful indulgence. And they're often gluten (and guilt)- free!